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Metkut bhaat
12m+ · Soft warm rice with ghee and a mild home-roasted lentil and rice powder, Maharashtra's comfort bowl
Ask anyone who grew up in Pune or Mumbai's Dadar about their first proper meal and many will say metkut bhaat: soft hot rice, a spoon of melted ghee and a sprinkle of metkut, a roasted powder of chana dal, urad dal and rice with turmeric and cumin. It is the bowl grandmothers make on lazy evenings and for toddlers from 12 months, nutty, savoury and gentle without any chilli. Shop metkut usually contains salt and asafoetida (which often has wheat), so this recipe roasts a small salt-free batch at home. It contains milk (ghee); the home-made powder has no gluten, egg, nuts or soya. Chef's tip: roast the dals slowly until they smell like popcorn; pale dal gives a raw, floury powder.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Baby & toddler safety
- Age: from 12 months+.
- Allergens: contains milk. Offer one new allergen at a time, in the morning, so you can watch for a reaction.
- Texture and choking: purée or mash smoothly for 6–9 months, then soft, finger-sized pieces that squash between your fingers. Cut round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters lengthways, never give whole nuts, and always stay with your child while they eat.
- Under 1: no honey, no added salt or stock cubes, and no added sugar.
Every child is different. If you are unsure, especially about allergies, check with your health visitor or paediatrician.
Ingredients
For the metkut
- 2 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 tbsp raw rice
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
For the rice
- 3 ½ oz short-grain rice such as ambemohar or sona masooririnsed
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 2 tsp ghee
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 3 ½ oz short-grain rice such as ambemohar or sona masoori and 1 ¾ cups water in a pan, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 18–20 minutes, until the grains are very soft and break when pressed. Add a splash more water if it dries out.
20 minStep 3: Add ½ tsp cumin seeds for the last 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and stir in ¼ tsp ground turmeric. Common mistake: roasting on high heat; the outsides scorch while the insides stay raw, and the powder tastes bitter.
Step 4: Cool the roasted mix for 5 minutes, then grind it to a very fine powder in a spice grinder. Sieve out any hard bits so there is nothing gritty for a toddler.
5 minStep 5: Mash the hot rice lightly with a spoon. Stir in 2 tsp ghee and 1–2 teaspoons of the metkut, until every grain is pale yellow and coated. Add a spoon of warm water if it's dry: it should be soft and moist.
Step 6: Cool to warm and serve. Keep the rest of the powder in a dry, airtight jar for up to a month.
Step 7: Cool any leftovers quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze in small portions for up to 1 month. Store rice and powder separately Reheat only once, until piping hot all the way through, then let it cool to warm before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does metkut bhaat take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of raw rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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